The present invention generally relates to laser drilling and laser milling and particularly relates to computer automated control methods for use with a laser drilling system.
Material ablation by pulsed light sources has been studied since the invention of the laser. Reports in 1982 of polymers having been etched by ultraviolet (UV) excimer laser radiation stimulated widespread investigations of the process for micromachining. Since then, scientific and industrial research in this field has proliferatedxe2x80x94mostly spurred by the remarkably small features that can be drilled, milled, and replicated through the use of lasers.
Ultrafast lasers generate intense laser pulses with durations from roughly 10xe2x88x9211 seconds (10 picoseconds) to 10xe2x88x9214 seconds (10 femtoseconds). Short pulse lasers generate intense laser pulses with durations from roughly 10xe2x88x9210 seconds (100 picoseconds) to 10xe2x88x9211 seconds (10 picoseconds). A wide variety of potential applications for ultrafast and short pulse lasers in medicine, chemistry, and communications are being developed and implemented. These lasers are also a useful tool for milling or drilling holes in a wide range of materials. Hole sizes as small as a few microns, even sub-microns, can readily be drilled. High aspect ratio holes can be drilled in hard materials, such as cooling channels in turbine blades, nozzles in ink-jet printers, or via holes in printed circuit boards.
Advanced laser drilling systems contain elements that maneuver the laser beam(s) and/or the workpiece(s) in a pattern such that the laser beam ablates the workpiece according to pre-determined geometry requirements. Computers can be programmed to rapidly perform the calculations required to guide precision drilling of a variety of shapes. Once these calculations are made for a given geometry, they can be executed in a repeatable manner for many workpieces. The coordinates calculated by laser milling algorithms are subsequently communicated to the elements of the laser drilling system to create the pre-determined geometry in the workpiece. Manually selecting laser drilling system parameters and making changes to those settings can be complex, and laser physicists are usually directly responsible for these activities.
Among the challenges in computer automation of laser drilling system is the problem of how to provide a more marketable laser drilling system. Current laser drilling systems do not have an intuitive approach to select workpiece geometry, laser type, or workpiece material as required in a manufacturing environment. Having a way to streamline changes to parameter input would increase the appeal, utility, and sales of laser drilling systems. What is needed is a way to provide a more marketable laser drilling system.
Also among the challenges in computer automation of laser drilling system is the problem of how to decrease the operating costs of a laser drilling system. Laser drilling systems utilize many complex elements and concepts to perform a specific task. Highly skilled laser physicists are often required to operate the laser drilling system because they understand the technical details of operating the laser drilling system, its elements, and the necessary input parameters. Employing high-salaried laser physicists that understand the technical details of the laser drilling system adds considerably to the operating costs of the laser drilling system. What is needed is a way to decrease the operating costs of a laser drilling system.
Further among the challenges in computer automation of laser drilling system is the problem of how to facilitate the reconfiguration of a laser drilling system to mass manufacture a variety of laser-drilled products. Laser drilling systems can be used to create any number of complex shapes in a workpiece. In a mass-manufacturing environment, changes to the laser type, workpiece geometry, and workpiece materials are necessary to produce varied shapes and such changes must be made quickly. What is needed is a way to facilitate the reconfiguration of a laser drilling system to mass manufacture a variety of laser-drilled products.
Still further among the challenges in computer automation of laser drilling system is the problem of how to prevent repetition of previously failed laser drilling system parameter combinations in future drilling runs. In laser drilling systems, certain combinations of laser type, workpiece geometry, and workpiece materials cannot be used to meet product specifications. For example, excimer lasers are not conducive to drilling high quality holes in metal foils because the long-duration (nanoseconds) excimer pulses cause significant melting in metal foils that leads to poor hole quality. Each attempt with a new combination of inputs is expensive; therefore, the number of failed attempts must be kept to a minimum to reduce operating costs. What is needed is a way to prevent repetition of previously failed laser drilling system parameter combinations in future drilling runs.
In accordance with one aspect of present invention, the method determines compatibility of user input parameters for use with a laser drilling system, based on previously determined compatibility data. The method begins with the input of at least one first parameter associated with laser beam characteristics into a computer system, at least one second parameter associated with workpiece material characteristics into said computer system, and at least one third parameter associated with workpiece geometry characteristics into said computer system. The computer system processes these first, second and third parameters to calculate a tool path. A laser drilling data set that includes said tool path is then generated and exported to the laser drilling system.
There exist several differences between the present invention and previous technology. A first difference between the present invention and the previous technology is that the present invention allows for changes within the same system, whereas the previous technology does not provide an adjustable laser drilling system. A second difference between the present invention and the previous technology is that the present invention provides a user-friendly interface to configure a laser drilling system, whereas the previous technology does not. A third difference between the present invention and the previous technology is that the present invention includes an implementation of the combination of laser milling correction and milling algorithms with a computer, whereas the previous technology does not. A fourth difference between the present invention and the previous technology is that the present invention provides a way to improve laser drilling system performance by xe2x80x9clearningxe2x80x9d from failed attempts and incorporating feedback into the system operation, whereas the previous technology does not. A fifth difference between the present invention and the previous technology is that the present invention provides intelligent screening procedures to interactively detect and abort another attempt of using previously known failure factors, whereas the previous technology does not.
The present invention has several advantages over the previous technology. A first advantage of the present invention is that it provides a more marketable laser drilling system. A second advantage of the present invention is that it provides a way to decrease the operating costs of a laser drilling system. A third advantage of the present invention is that it provides a way to facilitate the reconfiguration of a laser drilling system to mass manufacture a variety of laser-drilled products. A fourth advantage of the present invention is that it provides a way to prevent repetition of previously failed laser drilling system parameter combinations in future drilling runs. A fifth advantage of the present invention is that it allows for expandability of parameters and a nearly infinite number of combinations of workpiece materials, workpiece geometry, and laser characteristics. A sixth advantage of the present invention is that it provides faster re-configuration of a laser drilling system when changes are made.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.